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DOWN X DOWN › week 9 › Browns at Saints
Updated Nov 2, 5:48 PM ET
2026
2026this season2025final

Week 9 · Sunday 1:00 PM ET · Caesars Superdome

NOvsCLE

Saints offensevsBrowns defense

Season numbers through Week 8: 7 games for Saints, 8 for Browns. Ranks are out of 32; #1 is the best offense or the stingiest defense.

CLE offenseNO offense
Keys to the game · where this matchup tilts, from the season numbers4 reads
01
Biggest edge

Tight ends feast

Browns give up 8.0 targets a game to tight ends (21st), against a league average of 7.6. Saints' tight ends produce 8.3 (10th).

02
Opportunity

Deep left is open

Browns are worst against deep left throws, allowing +0.42 EPA per attempt. Saints send 7% of their throws there. That is a small part of their offense so far.

03
Watch out

Checkdowns go nowhere

Browns give up 18 yards a game to running backs (1st), against a league average of 32. Saints' running backs produce 33 (13th).

04
Wash

Explosive play rate

Call this one even. Saints create explosive plays on 7% of snaps (30th). Browns give them up at 12% (32nd).

Players to watch

CLE Browns

4Deshaun WatsonQB · 163/249 · 1806 yds · 7 TD · 3 INTEPA per dropback -0.02 · 24th10Quinshon JudkinsRB · 101 car · 342 yds · 3 TD · 21 recEPA per touch -0.1512Denzel BostonWR · 26 rec · 409 yds · 3 TD · 53 tgtEPA per target +0.1144Harold Fannin Jr.TE · 35 rec · 411 yds · 3 TD · 51 tgtEPA per target +0.26 · 17th21Denzel WardLeft Cornerback · 29 tackles · 3 INT · 9 PD3 INT · T-2nd in the NFL94Mason GrahamLeft Defensive Tackle · 16 tackles · 4 sacks4 sacks · T-22nd in the NFL

NO Saints

6Tyler ShoughQB · 183/273 · 1721 yds · 13 TD · 6 INTEPA per dropback +0.02 · 20th41Alvin KamaraRB · 41 car · 125 yds · 3 TD · 22 recEPA per touch -0.1012Chris OlaveWR · 49 rec · 636 yds · 2 TD · 71 tgtEPA per target +0.53 · 18th14Devaughn VeleWR · 33 rec · 348 yds · 3 TD · 48 tgtEPA per target +0.46 · 25th99Chase YoungStrongside Linebacker · 14 tackles · 7 sacks · 3 PD7 sacks · T-3rd in the NFL96Carl GrandersonWeakside Linebacker · 25 tackles · 5.5 sacks5.5 sacks · T-9th in the NFL
The series · Browns and Saints since 1999, and this season's records8 meetings

The series is even at 4–4 since 1999. The Saints have won the last 3. Nov 17, 2024, at Mercedes-Benz Superdome: the Saints won 35–14. Derek Carr started at quarterback for the Saints and Jameis Winston for the Browns; Dennis Allen and Kevin Stefanski coached.

Browns at home1–2the Browns' record
In New Orleans3–2the Browns' record
Most pointsBrowns 30 · Saints 352010 · 2024
Biggest winBrowns by 13 · Saints by 212010 · 2024

The last 5

2024 · Wk 11CLE 14 at NO 35
2022 · Wk 16NO 17 at CLE 10
2018 · Wk 2CLE 18 at NO 21
2014 · Wk 2NO 24 at CLE 26
2010 · Wk 7CLE 30 at NO 17

2026 records

BrownsSaints
Overall5–32–5
Division2–10–1
Conference3–31–3
Other conference2–01–2
Home3–00–4
Away2–32–1
Last 5WLWWLLLLWL
StreakLost 1Lost 1
Points a game17.4 – 21.623.1 – 27.7

Every meeting since 1999, regular season and playoffs, from nflverse's game list, which starts in 1999; the all-time series goes back further. Franchises that moved count as one team (the Raiders, Chargers and Rams). Home and away are from the Browns' side. Records are this regular season.

The lineups · Saints offense against the Browns defenseDepth charts
Browns defense · 4-3 DSaints offense · 3WR 1TE72Richards76Edwards78McCoy51Ruiz75Fuaga83Johnson6Shough41Kamara12Olave18Lance14Vele8Verse96Collins94Graham57McGuire42Mascarenas-Arnold49Schwesinger5Williams7Campbell21Ward26Harden9Delpit33Hickman

Saints offense · 3WR 1TE

  • QBTyler Shough#6 · 183/273 · 1721 yds · 13 TD · 6 INT
  • RBAlvin Kamara#41 · 41 car · 125 yds · 3 TD · 22 rec
  • WRChris Olave#12 · 49 rec · 636 yds · 2 TD · 71 tgt
  • WRDevaughn Vele#14 · 33 rec · 348 yds · 3 TD · 48 tgt
  • WRBryce Lance#18 · 9 rec · 78 yds · 1 TD · 22 tgt
  • TEJuwan Johnson#83 · 26 rec · 255 yds · 3 TD · 37 tgt
  • LTAsim Richards#72
  • LGDavid Edwards#76
  • CErik McCoy#78
  • RGCesar Ruiz#51
  • RTTaliese Fuaga#75

Browns defense · Base 4-3 D

  • RDEJared Verse#8 · 17 tackles
  • RDTMaliek Collins#96 · 19 tackles · 3.5 sacks
  • LDTMason Graham#94 · 16 tackles · 4 sacks
  • LDEIsaiah McGuire#57 · 20 tackles · 3 sacks
  • WLBEaston Mascarenas-Arnold#42 · 11 tackles
  • MLBCarson Schwesinger#49 · 72 tackles · 1 sack · 1 PD
  • SLBQuincy Williams#5 · 52 tackles · 1 sack · 3 PD
  • RCBTyson Campbell#7 · 33 tackles · 3 PD
  • LCBDenzel Ward#21 · 29 tackles · 3 INT · 9 PD
  • NBMyles Harden#26 · 28 tackles · 1 INT · 6 PD
  • SSGrant Delpit#9 · 34 tackles · 1 sack · 1 INT · 4 PD
  • FSRonnie Hickman#33 · 48 tackles · 1 sack · 1 INT · 2 PD

Starters from each team's current depth chart (nflverse, from ESPN), drawn in the offense's base three-receiver set against the defense's base front. The nickel back, the extra defensive back most teams use against three receivers, is drawn lighter. Left and right are as the offense sees the field. The toggle at the top flips which offense is drawn.

Head to head · NO offense against CLE defense
StatNO NO offFavors NO · Favors CLECLE CLE def allowsNFL avg
Overall
EPA per play
-0.04#22
-0.02#13+0.00
Success rate
42%#23
42%#1044%
Yards per play
4.9#29
5.3#115.4
Explosive play rate
7%#30
12%#329%
Passing
Pass EPA per dropback
+0.01#19
-0.03#9+0.03
Sack rate
5%#10
7%#107%
Running
Run EPA per carry
-0.16#26
-0.02#27-0.08
Yards per carry
3.2#31
4.7#284.1
Money downs
3rd down conversion
43%#10
40%#1441%
Red zone TD rate
74%#2
52%#1161%
Targets by position
WR yards per game
162#9
138#13147
TE yards per game
51#20
59#2355
TE targets per game
8.3#10
8.0#217.6
RB receiving yards per game
33#13
18#132
Where the ball goes · EPA per throwDeep is 15+ air yds

Saints: EPA per throw

Left
Middle
Right
Deep
-0.137% of throws
+0.893% of throws
+1.026% of throws
Short
+0.1935% of throws
+0.0510% of throws
-0.0340% of throws

Browns: EPA allowed per throw

Left
Middle
Right
Deep
+0.4221 throws
+0.3516 throws
-0.3120 throws
Short
-0.0476 throws
+0.3936 throws
+0.0891 throws

Green gains more than expected, red loses value. Cells with fewer than 5 throws are grayed out.